Carlson group: Molecular mechanisms of signal transduction in heart

Carlson group

Our group aims to identify molecular mechanisms underlying the development of cardiac disease and to develop novel therapeutic approaches to block disease progression.

In particular, our group studies anchored signaling, with focus on the syndecans, calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMKII) and various ion channels and exchangers involved in excitation-contraction coupling; the process which initiates the heartbeat. We are especially interested in understanding changes in the activity of these proteins during heart failure development. We have also some projects focused on examinations of skeletal muscle

During the last years, we have identified novel molecular mechanisms regulating the activities of the sodium-calcium exchanger 1 (NCX1), ryanodine receptor 2 (RYR2), and sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase 2 (SERCA2), and developed pro-drugs which modulate their activities. Recently, we have also identified the syndecan-2 and syndecan-4 interactomes, and several novel signaling pathways involved in cardiomyocyte growth and fibrosis.

In our projects, we use different molecular biology techniques combined with peptide technology. In particular, we employ Western blotting, immunoprecipitation, cell culture, transfection, mutated proteins, various imaging techniques, mass spectrometry, Biacore, ELISA-based assays, kinase and phosphatase assays, bioinformatics, adenovirus, adeno-associated virus, neonatal and adult cardiomyocytes, peptide arrays, peptide in-solution, and tissue from different animal heart failure models.

Figure 1 (left): (Carlson et al., Circ Res, 130:27–44, 2022)

Figure 2 (right): (Wanichawan et al., Front Pharmacol, 12:638646, 2021) 

The Carlson group consists of scientists from IEMR who work closely with a high-profile network of international and national collaborators, including the core facilities for structural biology, advanced light microscopy and proteomics at Oslo University Hospital.

Group Leader

Cathrine Rein Carlson

Group Leader & Senior Researcher

Group members

Ilde Rugolo

Doctoral Research Fellow

Lucie Pejšková

Doctoral Research Fellow

Thea Parsberg Støle

Doctoral Research Fellow & Safety representative (VO)

Latest publications

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Skogestad J, Albert I, Hougen K, Lothe GB, Lunde M, Søvik Eken O, Veras I, Thi-Huynh NT, Børstad M, Marshall S, Shen X, Louch WE, Louise Robinson E, Cleveland JC, Ambardekar AV, Schwisow JA, Jonas E, Calejo AIC, Morth JP, Taskén K, Melleby AO, Lunde PK, Sjaastad I, Carlson CR, Aronsen JM (2023)
Disruption of Phosphodiesterase 3A Binding to SERCA2 Increases SERCA2 Activity and Reduces Mortality in Mice With Chronic Heart Failure
Circulation
PubMed 36876489 DOI 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.121.054168
Lunde IG, Aronsen JM, Melleby AO, Strand ME, Skogestad J, Bendiksen BA, Ahmed MS, Sjaastad I, Attramadal H, Carlson CR, Christensen G (2022)
Cardiomyocyte-specific overexpression of syndecan-4 in mice results in activation of calcineurin-NFAT signalling and exacerbated cardiac hypertrophy
Mol Biol Rep, 49 (12), 11795-11809
PubMed 36205855 DOI 10.1007/s11033-022-07985-y
Støle TP, Lunde M, Shen X, Martinsen M, Lunde PK, Li J, Lockwood F, Sjaastad I, Louch WE, Aronsen JM, Christensen G, Carlson CR (2022)
The female syndecan-4-/- heart has smaller cardiomyocytes, augmented insulin/pSer473-Akt/pSer9-GSK-3β signaling, and lowered SCOP, pThr308-Akt/Akt and GLUT4 levels
Front Cell Dev Biol, 10, 908126
PubMed 36092718 DOI 10.3389/fcell.2022.908126
Carlson CR, Aronsen JM, Bergan-Dahl A, Moutty MC, Lunde M, Lunde PK, Jarstadmarken H, Wanichawan P, Pereira L, Kolstad TRS, Dalhus B, Subramanian H, Hille S, Christensen G, Müller OJ, Nikolaev V, Bers DM, Sjaastad I, Shen X, Louch WE, Klussmann E, Sejersted OM (2021)
AKAP18δ Anchors and Regulates CaMKII Activity at Phospholamban-SERCA2 and RYR
Circ Res, 130 (1), 27-44
PubMed 34814703 DOI 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.120.317976
Wanichawan P, Skogestad J, Lunde M, Støle TP, Stensland M, Nyman TA, Sjaastad I, Sejersted OM, Aronsen JM, Carlson CR (2021)
Design of a Proteolytically Stable Sodium-Calcium Exchanger 1 Activator Peptide for In Vivo Studies
Front Pharmacol, 12, 638646
PubMed 34163352 DOI 10.3389/fphar.2021.638646
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